This document discusses the changing landscape of subcontracting in child welfare and provides guidance on managing change. It notes that the future is uncertain and that a single vendor now oversees services instead of numerous disjointed ones. Myths about privatization are debunked. The summary emphasizes that great communication is essential to achieve great change, and that to promote effectiveness, organizations must develop strong business processes and focus on finances, competent staff, and communication skills while embracing change.

1. Subcontracting in the
changing landscape of child
welfare
Dale Bell, CEO | Nonprofit Solutions, Inc.
Jennifer Sannan, VP | Nonprofit Solutions, Inc.

2. 2
Background & experience
Providing full range of administrative
support for foster care and other
social service programs
Intensive privatization
experience with both lead and
subcontractors
Operating in
multiple states
Responsible for
contract management
Operational assessment
and consultation

3. Changing landscape
The future ain’t what it used to be.
-Yogi Berra

4. 4
Changing landscape
“Having a single vendor oversee the
delivery of care for services, instead of
disjointed care by numerous vendors,
has required a paradigm shift for
DFPS staff, providers and other
stakeholders who must build new skills
around the SSCC model.”
DFPS Foster Care Redesign
Implementation Plan April 2015

5. 5
Private agencies will reduce
services and/or cut corners by
hiring inexperienced and transient
personnel.
The increase in private vendors has
made it difficult to impossible for
private sector to monitor compliance
with areas such as minimum staffing
levels, caseloads and quality.
Myths
People with less experience will
make harmful decisions for kids.
Administrative costs will build, due
to the additional layer of
bureaucracy created to oversee
the bidding process, administer
contracts and monitor results.
Contractors will “low ball” or
underbid to receive a new contract
in anticipation of raising its rates
once it becomes established.
Fair competition for contracts is the
exception. Once a private agency obtains a
contract, the expertise, training,
infrastructure and equipment required to do
the job, the private agency is retained even
if it performs poorly because it is very costly
for the state to switch from another
contractor and start from ground zero.

6. Preparing for change
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the
most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
-Charles Darwin

7. 7
Employee management
Agency management needs two plans: one to make the
actual change and one to manage the human side.
Anticipate the “neutral zone”.

8. 8
Key plan elements
S H
D U
Sell the “why” Help them close the
past
Define what change
will mean for
individuals as soon
as possible
Understand where
people are in the
process and implement
specific tasks to help
them along
S
D
H
U

9. Communicate

10. 10
Getting buy-in
Ask employees for
commitment
Expand communication
channels
Be firm and committed,
yet flexible
Keep a positive attitude
Involve employees in the
change process
Interview employees on
their feelings
Concentrate on effective
delegation
Raise levels of expectations

11. Selling the why
Leadership is the ability to get men to do
what they don’t like to do and like it.
-Harry Truman

12. 12
Use data to
demonstrate how the
work will be enhanced
Demonstrate trust
and care for those
doing the work
The selling never
stops
Selling the why

13. 13
Gather data
and build your
case
Develop a 30-
second “elevator
speech” and a more
lengthy presentation
Practice both of
these before
peers who will be
tough and force
you to refine your
message
How to get started selling
Note any
questions/concerns
you can’t answer, get
the answers and then
communicate back to
the group
Never stop
selling

14. Data collection – what’s valuable?

15. 15
1 2 3 4 5 6
Data collection
Evaluate
your current
capabilities
Differentiate
yourself
Seek ways to
seamlessly
communicate
data
Value data
and what it
can offer
Willingly
make the leap
Get feedback

16. Customer service
Define success? It’s solving the clients
problem even when it’s not yours.

17. 17
Friendliness
01
02
03
04
05
06
Empathy
Fairness
Control
Alternatives
Information
Six basic needs of
customer service

18. 18
What employees need
for customer service
Learn your organization’s services, policies and
procedures
Adequate training on administering excellent
customer service
Maintain high performance standards
Hold yourself accountable for your level of
performance
Develop good interpersonal communication and
people skills
Monitor your quality of service and be willing to
make adjustments as needed

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Partnership
Know your capacityConsider the extras
Know the cost of your
service, including
components if possible
Differentiating
yourself
Maintain
communication
How can you meet
their needs?

20. 20
Factors for success
Preparation!
Preparation!
Preparation!
Service delivery
management and
contract
administration
Relationship
management
Continuous
improvement
People, skills
and continuity
Proactive
change
management

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Potential roadblocks
Inadequate resources
assigned to contract
management
1
Be wary of
personality
clashes
3
Unclear dispute
resolution process
4
Cookie cutter
contracts
5
The context,
complexities and
dependencies of
contract are not
well understood
6
Failure to ensure
understanding of
assumptions/
objectives
7
Lack of
performance
measurement or
benchmarking
8
Failure to monitor
and manage
retained risk
9
Ensure the right
person is in the
right seat
2

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Financial considerations
If possible, diversify your revenue sources
Understand the relationships internally and externally
Know balance between delivering great services and
meeting financial goals
Conduct a critical internal assessment of your business
process management
Do not forget the business side
Create innovative strategies but know the risks
Know the real cost of your service delivery and plan for
operating margins and reserve creation

23. Summary Face reality as it is, not as it was
or as you wish it to be.
-Jack Welch

24. 24
Summary
Inspiration is often times the result
of external forces that compel us
to see things differently
Essential traits – embrace change, be
motivated to act, use data to drive
strategy, focus on finances, competent
staff and communication skills
Develop your business process
management to promote effectiveness
and efficiencies in processes that you
can rely on to succeed
Great communication is essential to
achieve great change.

25. Questions? I wish I had an answer to that, because
I’m tired of answering that question.
- Yogi Berra

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info@np-solutions.org 877-984-5300 www.np-solutions.org
Nonprofit Solutions, Inc.
618 Commercial St,
PO Box 2224
Emporia, KS 66801
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